Although the Greek community has been associated with excessive alcohol use and its consequences, there is a more serious problem facing the Greeks: prescription drug abuse.

“Prescription drug use is the major problem facing Greek life,” Matt Ehrlich, a member of the Delta Chi fraternity, said. “Alcohol can lead to immediate problems like sexual assaults and DUIs, but prescription drugs are often overlooked due to gradual addiction,” he added.

Ehrlich organized a meeting on Wednesday Dec. 2, with the help of the Interfraternity Council (IFC), in hopes of enlightening fraternities on the dangers of prescription drug use. Chris Flohr, former president of the Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, educated a group of about 206, comprised mostly of fraternity men, about the medical facts and legal implications of using prescription drugs.

“Actions by the Greeks are usually scrutinized more so than others. It is important for all of us to realize the difference between perception and reality with these drugs,” Ehrlich said. “As Greeks, we need to set the example here and use these drugs wisely, if at all,” he added.

IFC felt the severity of the subject required the attention of all fraternity men, making it mandatory that five members from each house attend the meeting in hopes of spreading the word about the consequences of this risky behavior.

“It is scary to realize that this is an actual problem facing our community. You think that in college everyone experiments and it’s not really that big of a deal,” Evan Sadler, member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, said. “You never stop to realize what the actual consequences these behaviors are going to have later on,” he added.

“The problem is definitely getting worse. Not only is it illegal to take drugs prescribed for others, but most people are mixing these drugs with alcohol,” Dennis O’Neill, a member of Fiji, said. “It’s important to have these meetings because people are harming themselves without knowing exactly knowing the consequences,” he added.

Flohr focused specifically on the medical facts and legal implications of using stimulants, painkillers and depressants. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, dangerously high body temperature and irregular heartbeat are results of taking high doses of a stimulant. This also leads to the risk of lethal seizures or cardiovascular failure.

Sedatives and tranquilizers slow the brain’s activity. When an individual stops taking them, the brain’s activity can rebound and race out of control, which creates the potential risk for seizures, according to the NIDA. Mixing these drugs with alcohol can slow both heart rate and respiration, which may lead to death.

Kim Caldeira, project director of the College Life Study, also helped organize the meeting. The College Life Study is a program at the University of Maryland funded by the National Institute of Health. The program aims to understand college student engagement in risky behaviors, such as binge drinking and abuse of illicit drugs, and educate students on the impact these behaviors may have regarding achievement and health.

Web Design by Jeff Nash